Do animals experience schadenfreude?

In 2023, an African gray parrot named Jack gained internet fame for imitating her owner's father's coughing, despite the owner's belief that Jack despised him. Researchers argue that Jack likely did not experience schadenfreude, a complex emotion characterized by pleasure derived from another's pain. This emotion, which translates to "harm joy" in German, often manifests when humans witness the misfortune of others.

While some animal behavior researchers believe animals may possess rudimentary emotional intelligence, they argue that true schadenfreude requires a deep understanding of both one's own emotions and those of others. This concept, known as theory of mind, is thought to be most developed in highly social animals like great apes. Despite the elusive nature of such emotions in non-human animals, researchers acknowledge that there is growing evidence to suggest that animals possess significant emotional intelligence.